Shoes

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a shoe that improves a series of motion of the foot at the time of running and walking and reduces the shift of the foot from side to side. Shoe ( 100 ) of the present invention includes heel side support line part ( 101 ) arranged from the outer side of a heel part to the inner side of the heel part via a sole side. Heel side support line part ( 101 ) is an elastic member. Heel side support line part ( 101 ) has outer end part ( 101 A) arranged within the region posterior to the front end of the lateral malleolus, anterior to the virtual plumb line extending through the midpoint between the virtual plumb line passing through the most projecting point of the lateral malleolus and the virtual plumb line passing through the rear end of the calcaneus, and below the lower end of the lateral malleolus. Heel side support line part ( 101 ) has inner end part ( 101 B) arranged within the region posterior to the first metatarsal head, anterior to the front end of the medial malleolus, and below the lower end of the medial malleolus. Heel side support line part ( 101 ) is configured to apply the force to turn the foot in the direction of pronation by its elastic force to at least the heel part.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to shoes.

BACKGROUND ART

Various shoes for reducing the burden on the feet and supporting the motions of the feet during sports such as running and the like are heretofore used. For example, in Patent Document 1, proposed is a running shoe characterized in that support bands are respectively provided on the inner side part and outer side part of an instep cover, and the support bands provided on the inner side part and outer side part can be freely tightened by a tightening member. The shoe disclosed in Patent Document 1 promotes the supination action and pronation action of the foot to encourage acceleration. Also, in Patent Document 2, proposed is a sole structure for a sports shoe including: a wavy plate, in which a wave amplitude is increased toward the peripheral edge of the heel, at a heel part; and plural column members made of elastic members arranged at the undersurface of the wavy plate, wherein the top surface of the column member has an inclined surface sloping downwardly toward the peripheral edge of the heel from the undersurface. The sole structure disclosed in Patent Document 2 is intended to ensure the stability of the heel at the time of landing by devising the material and the shape of the heel part.

CITATION LIST Patent Document(s)

-   Patent Document 1: JP 2003-024108 A -   Patent Document 2: JP 2009-118936 A

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Problem to be Solved by the Invention

As a result of research conducted by the inventors of the present invention for developing a shoe more suitable for running and the like, it was found that a force is acted on the foot in the horizontal direction at the time of running and walking as will be described below. When the force is acted on the foot in the horizontal direction at the time of running and walking and the foot is shifted from side to side, the efficiency of running and walking is decreased and the burdens on joints and muscles are increased. Therefore, there is a need to improve the motion of the foot and to reduce the shift of the foot from side to side. However, the shoe disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not solve the problem of the shift of the foot but promotes the supination action and pronation action of the foot. Therefore, there is a possibility that the burdens on joints and muscles increase. Also the sole structure disclosed in Patent Document 2 suppresses the shift of the heel in the horizontal direction after landing by devising the material and the shape of the heel part but does not improve the motion of the foot before landing. Therefore, the sole structure disclosed in Patent Document 2 cannot provide the motion of the foot ideal for running and walking. As described above, there was no conventional shoe that improves a series of motion of the foot at the time of running and walking and reduces the shift of the foot from side to side.

Hence, the present invention is intended to provide a shoe that improves a series of motion of the foot at the time of running and walking and reduces the shift of the foot from side to side.

Means for Solving Problem

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a shoe including: a heel side support line part arranged from an outer side of a heel part to an inner side of the heel part via a sole side, wherein the heel side support line part is an elastic member, the heel side support line part has an outer (lateral) end part arranged within a region posterior to a front end of a lateral malleolus, anterior to a virtual plumb line extending through the midpoint between a virtual plumb line passing through a most projecting point of the lateral malleolus and a virtual plumb line passing through a rear end of a calcaneus, and below a lower end of the lateral malleolus, the heel side support line part has an inner (medial) end part arranged within a region posterior to a first metatarsal head, anterior to a front end of a medial malleolus, and below a lower end of the medial malleolus, and the heel side support line part is configured to apply a force to turn a foot in a direction of pronation by its elastic force to at least the heel part.

Effects of the Invention

Since the shoe of the present invention has the above-described configuration, a series of motion of the foot at the time of running and walking is improved and the shift of the foot from side to side can be reduced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A to 1D show shoe 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A shows shoe 100 viewed from the outer side, FIG. 1B shows shoe 100 viewed from the inner side, FIG. 1C shows shoe 100 viewed from below, and FIG. 1D shows shoe 100 viewed from the heel side.

FIGS. 2A and 2B schematically show the skeleton of the right foot of a human body.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show the states of a foot viewed from the rear side for explaining the action of the heel side support line part in the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a view for explaining the motion of the foot when a user runs or walks while wearing shoe 100 according to the first embodiment.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are views for explaining the arrangement of the heel side support line part in the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a magnified view of the inner end part of the heel side support line part in the first embodiment.

FIGS. 7A and 7B show a variation of the heel side support line part.

FIGS. 8A to 8D show shoe 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8A shows shoe 200 viewed from the outer side, FIG. 8B shows shoe 200 viewed from the inner side, FIG. 8C shows shoe 200 viewed from above, and FIG. 8D shows shoe 200 viewed from below.

FIGS. 9A and 9B schematically show the skeleton of the right foot of a human body.

FIGS. 10A and 10B are views for explaining the action of the foot front (forefoot) side support line part in the second embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a view for explaining the motion of the foot when a user runs or walks while wearing shoe 200 according to the second embodiment.

FIGS. 12A and 12B are views for explaining the arrangement of the foot front side support line part in the second embodiment.

FIGS. 13A and 13B are views showing another example of the arrangement of the inner end part of the foot front side support line part in the second embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a magnified view of the outer end part of the foot front side support line part in the second embodiment.

FIGS. 15A and 15B show a variation of the foot front side support line part.

FIGS. 16A to 16C show shoe 300 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16A shows shoe 300 viewed from the outer side, FIG. 16B shows shoe 300 viewed from the inner side, and FIG. 16C shows shoe 300 viewed from above.

FIG. 17 is a graph showing the result of a wearing evaluation test.

FIG. 18 is a graph showing the result of a wearing evaluation test.

FIG. 19 is a graph showing the result of a wearing evaluation test.

FIG. 20 is a graph showing the result of a wearing evaluation test.

FIG. 21 is a graph showing the result of a wearing evaluation test.

FIG. 22 is a view for explaining the motion of the foot at the time of normal running.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The motion of the foot at the time of running is described hereinbelow. In the illustration at the left in FIG. 22, the force acted on the foot in the horizontal direction at the time of normal running is indicated by the outline arrow. The states of the foot viewed from the rear side corresponding to the sites indicated by A to D in the illustration at the left in FIG. 22 are respectively shown in the illustrations indicated by A to D at the right in FIG. 22. In the illustrations indicated by A to D at the right in FIG. 22, the photographs showing the states of the foot viewed from the rear side are shown at the left and the schematic views of the photographs at the left are shown at the right. Normally, the motion of the foot at the time of running is as follows. That is, the outer side of the heel lands first (the state shown in the illustration indicated by A at the right in FIG. 22), then the whole heel comes into contact with the ground while pronating and the foot tilts toward the inner side (the state shown in the illustration indicated by B at the right in FIG. 22), then the load moves forward while the foot is under the force in the direction of supination (the state shown in the illustration indicated by C at the right in FIG. 22), and finally the foot kicks the ground with the big toe (the state shown in the illustration indicated by D at the right in FIG. 22). The foot shifts from side to side at the time of running in this manner. Also at the time of walking, the foot shifts in the horizontal direction similar to the case of running, although the shift is smaller than that at the time of running.

Hereinafter, the shoe of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to illustrative examples. However, the present invention is not limited or restricted by the following examples. Note here that, in FIGS. 1 to 22, identical parts are indicated with identical numerals and symbols. In the present invention, the expression for representing the position is defined with reference to the time of wearing a shoe and the time of standing. The positions and regions specified by bones are corresponding positions and regions in a shoe.

First Embodiment

FIG. 1 shows shoe 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Shoe 100 of the present embodiment is a running shoe. FIG. 1A shows shoe 100 viewed from the outer side, FIG. 1B shows shoe 100 viewed from the inner side, and FIG. 1C shows shoe 100 viewed from below. As shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C, shoe 100 of the present embodiment includes heel side support line part 101. Note here that, in FIG. 1C, sole 104 is shown simplistically by the dashed line so that the arrangement of heel side support line part 101 can be seen clearly.

As shown in FIG. 1A to 1C, in the present invention, heel side support line part 101 is arranged from the outer side of a heel part to the inner side of the heel part via a sole side. Here, “the outer side of the heel part”, “the sole side”, and “the inner side of the heel part” are defined with reference to the body parts, and “the outer side” refers to the little toe side and “the inner side” refers to the big toe side. The position of heel side support line part 101 is described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B schematically showing the skeleton of the right foot of a human body. FIG. 2A shows the skeleton of the right foot of a human body viewed from the outer side. FIG. 2B shows the skeleton of the right foot of a human body viewed from the inner side. In the present invention, outer (lateral) end part 101A of heel side support line part 101 is arranged within the region R1 posterior to the front end S of the lateral malleolus, anterior to the virtual plumb line (iii) extending through the midpoint between the virtual plumb line (i) passing through the most projecting point T of the lateral malleolus and the virtual plumb line (ii) passing through the rear end of the calcaneus, and below the lower end U of the lateral malleolus. Inner (medial) end part 101B of heel side support line part 101 is arranged within the region R2 posterior to the first metatarsal head Q (not including first metatarsal head), anterior to the front end M of the medial malleolus, and below the lower end N of the medial malleolus. In the present invention, heel side support line part 101 is an elastic member and is configured to apply a force to turn the foot in the direction of pronation by its elastic force to at least the heel part.

The force to turn the foot in the direction of pronation is caused as follows. Outer end part 101A of heel side support line part 101 is attached to shoe 100, and inner end part 101B of heel side support line part 101 is attached to shoe 100 in the state where heel side support line part 101 is stretched toward the inner side. Inner end part 101B is positioned remote from the center of the ankle in comparison with outer end part 101A. Thus, due to the relationship of moment of force, an elastic force to return in the direction of outer end part 101A indicated by the arrow E1 in FIG. 1D is caused in heel side support line part 101, and this elastic force serves as the force to turn the foot in the direction of pronation. Note here that FIG. 1D shows shoe 100 for the right foot viewed from the heel side.

In this manner, according to the present invention, it is possible to apply a force to turn the foot in the direction of pronation to at least the heel part. Thus, when a user wears the shoe of the present invention, since a force to turn the foot in the direction of pronation is acted as shown in FIG. 3A before the foot is brought into contact with the ground (also referred to as “swing phase”) during which the user can freely move the foot, the foot which is normally in a state where it is supinated and will land on the outer side of the heel (the state shown in the illustration at the left in FIG. 3B) comes to a nearly intermediate position (the state where the foot is not pronated or supinated) before being brought into contact with the ground (the state shown in the illustration at the right in FIG. 3B), and the heel can land in this state. In FIGS. 3A and 3B, the photographs showing the states of the foot viewed from the rear side are shown in the upper row and the schematic views of the photographs of the upper row are shown in the lower row. Note here that, in the present invention, although the motion of the foot can be improved as long as the force of heel side support line part 101 to turn the foot in the direction of pronation is applied to at least the heel part, the present invention is not limited thereto and the force may be applied to the whole foot.

When the foot comes into contact with the ground, the weight is put on the heel part. In the present invention, since heel side support line part 101 is arranged via the sole side as described above, heel side support line part 101 is stepped by the heel when the foot comes into contact with the ground. At this time, a load is imposed on heel side support line part 101, and the force of heel side support line part 101 to turn the foot in the direction of pronation is hindered. Thus, after the foot comes into contact with the ground (also referred to as “stance phase”), the foot is not tuned in the direction of pronation, and heel side support line part 101 does not encourage the pronation of the foot. In this manner, the heel side support line part in the shoe of the present invention does not have an ill influence on the motion of the foot in the stance phase.

FIG. 4 shows a view for explaining the motion of the foot when a user runs or walks while wearing the shoe of the present invention. In the illustration at the left in FIG. 4, the force acted on the foot in the horizontal direction at the time of running or walking while wearing the shoe of the present invention is indicated by the outline arrow. The states of the foot viewed from the rear side corresponding to sites indicated by A and B in the illustration at the left in FIG. 4 are respectively shown in the illustrations indicated by A and B at the right in FIG. 4. In the illustrations indicated by Z, A, and B at the right in FIG. 4, the photographs showing the states of the foot viewed from the rear side are shown at the left and the schematic views of the photographs at the left are shown at the right. As described above, normally, the foot shifts from side to side at the time of running and walking (see FIG. 22). However, according to the shoe of the present invention, the foot comes to a nearly intermediate position before brought into contact with the ground (the state shown in the illustration indicated by Z at the right in FIG. 4), the heel is landed in this state (the state shown in the illustration indicated by A at the right in FIG. 4), and the whole heel can be brought into contact with the ground nearly straight (the state shown in the illustration indicated by B at the right in FIG. 4). Since the shift of the heel part at the landing is particularly large among the shifts of the foot parts from side to side (see FIG. 22), by improving the motion of the foot so as to be in a nearly intermediate position before brought into contact with the ground as shown in FIG. 4, the shift of the foot from side to side that will be caused thereafter at the foot front part side will be reduced. In this manner, according to the shoe of the present invention, it is possible to improve a series of motion of the foot at the time of running and walking and to reduce the shift of the foot from side to side. Thus, when a user wears the shoe of the present invention, the ideal motion of the foot for running and walking can be achieved. This improves running and walking efficiency, and reduces the burdens on joints and muscles. As a result, fatigue is reduced and running troubles are prevented.

In the present invention, although it is acceptable as long as outer end part 101A of heel side support line part 101 is arranged within the region R1, particularly preferably, outer end part 101A of heel side support line part 101 is arranged at the intersection V between the virtual plumb line (iv) passing through the lower end U of the lateral malleolus and the virtual horizontal line (v) passing through the middle point between the uppermost end of the calcaneus and the lowermost end of the calcaneus shown in FIG. 5A. Also, although it is acceptable as long as inner end part 101B of heel side support line part 101 is arranged within the region R2, particularly preferably, inner end part 101B of heel side support line part 101 is arranged at the position W of the tuberosity of scaphoid shown in FIG. 5B. This makes it possible to efficiently apply the force to turn the foot in the direction of pronation.

As shown in FIG. 1A, in the present embodiment, outer end part 101A of heel side support line part 101 is arranged on the outer side surface of heel part 107 of shoe 100. Heel side support line part 101 passes between upper structure 103 and sole 104 of shoe 100, and inner end part 101B is arranged on the inner side surface of heel part 107 of shoe 100 as shown in FIG. 1B. Here, “the upper structure” refers to a component located above the sole of the shoe. However, in the present invention, the arrangement of heel side support line part 101 in the shoe is not limited thereto. In the present invention, heel side support line part 101 may be arranged inside the shoe e.g., under an instep fabric (upper) or inside a wearing opening, for example. Also, for example, heel side support line part 101 may be arranged as follows. That is, outer end part 101A is arranged inside the shoe, heel side support line part 101 passes under the insole and through a hole formed on the inner side of heel part 107 of the shoe, and inner end part 101B is arranged on the surface of heel part 107 of the shoe as in the case of the present embodiment. In this manner, in the present invention, it is acceptable as long as the heel side support line part is provided on the shoe so as to be arranged from the position corresponding to the region R1 at the time of wearing to the position corresponding to the region R2 via the sole side.

As described above, in the present embodiment, heel side support line part 101 passes between upper structure 103 and sole 104 of shoe 100. This makes it possible to increase the durability and waterproof property of heel side support line part 101.

In the case where the shoe includes a heel cup, preferably, outer end part 101A of heel side support line part 101 is fixed to the heel cup. The fixation to the heel cup having high rigidity allows heel side support line part 101 to efficiently apply the force to turn the foot in the direction of pronation.

In the present embodiment, outer end part 101A of heel side support line part 101 is fixed to the outer side of heel part 107 of shoe 100. On the other hand, inner end part 101B of heel side support line part 101 is not fixed to the inner side of heel part 107 of shoe 100 and is attachable to and detachable from the shoe. FIG. 6 shows a magnified view of inner end part 101B of heel side support line part 101 in the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, in the present embodiment, inner end part 101B of heel side support line part 101 is provided with interlocking connection part 105 and is attachable to and detachable from the shoe 100. Thereby, heel side support line part 101 can be loosened by detaching inner end part 101B of heel side support line part 101 from shoe 100 at the time of putting on and taking off shoe 100, and inner end part 101B can be attached to shoe 100 in the state where heel side support line part 101 is stretched toward the inner side after putting on shoe 100. This allows the shoe to be easily put on or taken off. Here, “the end” refers to a region proximate to a tip part including the tip part.

There is no particular limitation on interlocking connection part 105. For example, a hook (for example, hook-and-eye closure), a hook and loop fastener, a gripper, a button, a cord, or the like may be selected appropriately according to the design or the use. Also inner end part 101B may be provided with a joint member so as to be attachable to and detachable from the shoe.

In the present embodiment, a hook is used as interlocking connection part 105. As shown in FIG. 6, more than one hook position is provided so that an attachment/detachment position is adjustable. When the attachment/detachment position of inner end part 101B of heel side support line part 101 to shoe 100 is adjustable in this manner, it is possible to adjust the strength of the force to turn the foot in the direction of pronation in accordance with the shape of the foot of a wearer, the characteristic of the running style, and the like. It is more preferable to use a hook and loop fastener as interlocking connection part 105 or to be provided with a mechanism for adjusting the length of the support line part because this allows the stepless adjustment of the strength of the force to turn the foot in the direction of pronation. However, in the present invention, inner end part 101B of heel side support line part 101 may have a configuration in which the strength of the force to turn the foot in the direction of pronation is not adjustable. In the present embodiment, inner end part 101B of heel side support line part 101 is not fixed to but attachable to and detachable from the shoe 100 as described above. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and inner end part 101B may be fixed to shoe 100.

In the present embodiment, heel side support line part 101 is a strip member. However, in the present invention, the heel side support line part is not limited thereto. The heel side support line part may be formed of several cord members as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B.

In the present invention, the elastic force of the heel side support line part is not limited, and is, for example, in the range from 9.0 N to 30.0 N, and preferably in the range from 11.23 N to 18.41 N. In the present invention, the material to be used for the heel side support line part is not particularly limited as long as it is an elastic member. Examples of the material include strip members (tapes), cord members, and the like made of polyurethane and nylon, polyurethane and polyester, polyester and natural rubber, and the like. In the present invention, the width of the heel side support line part is not particularly limited. For example, the width is preferably in the range from 1 cm to 5 cm and is more preferably in the range from 2 cm to 3 cm.

The present embodiment has been described with reference to a running shoe as an example. However, the present invention is not limited thereto and can also be applied to a walking shoe.

(Objective Evaluation in Wearing)

Shoe 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention of the type shown in FIG. 1 was produced and a wearing evaluation test was conducted. In the present evaluation, the shift of the foot from side to side was measured with respect to one subject (twenty-six-year-old male) at the time of running while wearing shoe 100. In the present evaluation, the shift of the foot from side to side was measured by measuring the floor reaction force in the horizontal direction at the time of running using a floor reaction force gauge. Also, as a comparative example, the shift of the foot from side to side was measured in the same manner with respect to a shoe that does not include a heel side support line part.

The results are shown in the graph of FIG. 17. In FIG. 17, the solid line shows the result with respect to shoe 100 of the present invention and the dashed line shows the result with respect to the shoe that does not include the heel side support line part. In FIG. 17, the vertical axis shows the shift of the foot. With 0 as a reference, the vertical axis above 0 (the direction indicated by the arrow J1) shows the shift of the foot toward the inner side and the vertical axis below 0 (the direction indicated by the arrow J2) shows the shift of the foot toward the outer side. The horizontal axis shows the time. The time elapses from the time of landing in the direction indicated by the arrow J3. As shown in FIG. 17, in the case where the subject wears the shoe of the present invention, as compared to the case where the subject wears the shoe that does not include the heel side support line part, the shift of the foot from side to side is reduced. This shows that shoe 100 of the present invention reduces the shift of the foot from side to side.

Second Embodiment

FIG. 8 shows shoe 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Shoe 200 of the present embodiment is a running shoe. FIG. 8A shows shoe 200 viewed from the outer side, FIG. 8B shows shoe 200 viewed from the inner side, FIG. 8C shows shoe 200 viewed from above, and FIG. 8D shows shoe 200 viewed from below. As shown in FIGS. 8A to 8D, shoe 200 of the present embodiment includes heel side support line part 101 and foot front (forefoot) side support line part 202. Here, “the foot front part” refers to a part of the foot anterior to the heel. Note here that, in FIG. 8D, sole 104 is shown simplistically by the dashed line so that the arrangement of heel side support line part 101 and foot front side support line part 202 can be seen clearly.

As shown in FIGS. 8A to 8C, in the present embodiment, foot front side support line part 202 is arranged from the front inner side of the foot front part to the rear outer side of the foot front part via an instep part. As shown in FIG. 8D, in the present embodiment, tip part 202A′ of inner end part 202A of foot front side support line part 202 is connected to the sole side. Here, “the front inner side of the foot front part”, “the instep part”, “the rear outer side of the foot front part”, and “the sole side” are defined with reference to the body parts, and “the outer side” refers to the little toe side, “the inner side” refers to the big toe side, “the front” refers to the toe side, and “the rear” refers to the heel side. The position of foot front side support line part 202 is described in detail with reference to FIGS. 9A and 9B schematically showing the skeleton of the right foot of a human body. FIG. 9A shows the skeleton of the right foot of a human body viewed from the inner side. FIG. 9B shows the skeleton of the right foot of a human body viewed from the outer side. In the present embodiment, inner end part 202A of foot front side support line part 202 is arranged such that at least tip part 202A′ is connect to the sole side within the region R3 posterior to the midpoint P of the first proximal phalanx in the major axis direction and anterior to the rear end Q of the first metatarsal head. Outer end part 202B of foot front side support line part 202 is arranged within the region R4 posterior to the midpoint X of the fifth metatarsal bone in the major axis direction, anterior to the proximal end Y of the cuboideum bone, and at the outer side of the inner side edge Z of the fourth metatarsal bone. In the present embodiment, foot front side support line part 202 is an elastic member and is configured to apply a force on the foot from the rear outer side to the front inner side by its elastic force to at least the foot front part.

The force acted on the foot from the rear outer side to the front inner side is caused as follows. Inner end part 202A of foot front side support line part 202 is attached to shoe 200 and outer end part 202B of foot front side support line part 202 is attached to shoe 200 in the state where foot front side support line part 202 is stretched toward the rear outer side. In the attachment position, since the rigidity of inner end part 202A connected to the sole is higher than that of outer end part 202B, an elastic force to return in the direction of inner end part 202A indicated by the arrow E2 in FIG. 8C is caused in foot front side support line part 202, and this elastic force serves as the force acted on the foot from the rear outer side to the front inner side.

In this manner, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to apply a force on the foot from the rear outer side to the front inner side to at least the foot front part. Thus, when a user wears shoe 200 of the present embodiment, since the force acted on the foot front part from the rear outer side is applied to the front inner side as shown in FIG. 10A, it is possible to prevent the load from being shifted toward the outer side and it is possible to put the weight straight on the foot front part (the state shown in the illustration at the right in FIG. 10B), although the foot normally moves forward while the load is shifted toward the outer side because of the force acted on the foot in the direction of supination after the whole heel is brought into contact with the ground (the state shown in the illustration at the left in FIG. 10B). Also the force acted on the foot front part from the rear outer side to the front inner side assists the foot to kick the ground. Note here that, in the present embodiment, although the motion of the foot can be improved as shown in the illustration at the right in FIG. 10B as long as the force of foot front side support line part 202 acted on the foot from the rear outer side to the front inner side is applied to at least the foot front part, the present invention is not limited thereto and the force may be applied to the whole foot.

FIG. 11 shows a view for explaining the motion of the foot when a user runs or walks while wearing shoe 200 of the present embodiment. In the illustration at the left in FIG. 11, the force acted on the foot in the horizontal direction at the time of wearing shoe 200 of the present embodiment from the time of coming into contact with the ground to the time of kicking the ground is indicated by the outline arrow. The states of the foot viewed from the rear side corresponding to sites indicated by A to D in the illustration at the left in FIG. 11 are respectively shown in the illustrations indicated by A to D at the right in FIG. 11. In the illustrations indicated by Z, and A to D at the right in FIG. 11, the photographs showing the states of the foot viewed from the rear side are shown at the left and the schematic views of the photographs at the left are shown at the right. Shoe 200 of the present embodiment includes heel side support line part 101 and foot front side support line part 202. Thus, according to shoe 200 of the present embodiment, first, the foot comes to a nearly intermediate position before being brought into contact with the ground (the state shown in the illustration indicated by Z at the right in FIG. 11) by the action of heel side support line part 101, the heel lands in this state (the state shown in the illustration indicated by A at the right in FIG. 11) and the whole heel can be brought into contact with the ground nearly straight (the state shown in the illustration indicated by B at the right in FIG. 11). Then, the action of foot front side support line part 202 prevents the load from being shifted toward the outer side and allows the weight to be moved straight to the foot front part (the state shown in the illustration indicated by C at the right in FIG. 11), and this leads the foot to kick the ground with the big toe (the state shown in the illustration indicated by D at the right in FIG. 11). In this manner, according to shoe 200 of the present embodiment, the force for improving the motion of the foot is also applied to the foot front part by foot front side support line part 202, and the effect of reducing the shift of the foot from side to side at the time of running and walking is enhanced. Since shoe 200 of the present embodiment also achieves the effect of assisting the foot to kick the ground, shoe 200 allows the user to run or walk more effortlessly.

In the present embodiment, although it is acceptable as long as tip part 202A′ of inner end part 202A of foot front side support line part 202 is connected to the sole side within the region R3, particularly preferably, tip part 202A′ is connected to the sole side at the position G of hallux ball shown in FIG. 12A. Also, although it is acceptable as long as outer end part 202B of foot front side support line part 202 is arranged within the region R4, particularly preferably, outer end part 202B of foot front side support line part 202 is arranged at the position H of the tuberosity of the fifth metatarsal bone shown in FIG. 12B. This makes it possible to efficiently apply the force on the foot from the rear outer side to the front inner side.

As shown in FIG. 8B, in the present embodiment, inner end part 202A of foot front side support line part 202 is arranged at the front inner side of foot front part 206 of shoe 200. In the present embodiment, tip part 202A′ of inner end part 202A is arranged at the sole side between upper structure 103 and sole 104 as shown in FIG. 8B an instep fabricd 8D. Foot front part side support line part 202 passes via the instep part of foot front part 206 of shoe 200 and outer end part 202B is arranged at the rear outer side of foot front part 206 of shoe 200. However, in the present invention, the arrangement of foot front side support line part 202 in the shoe is not limited thereto. Foot front part side support line part 202 may be arranged inside the shoe. In this manner, it is acceptable as long as the foot front part support line part is provided on the shoe so as to be arranged from the position corresponding to the region R3 at the time of wearing to the position corresponding to the region R4 via the instep part.

In the present embodiment, although tip part 202A′ of inner end part 202A of foot front side support line part 202 is arranged at the sole side between upper structure 103 and sole 104 as described above, the present invention is not limited thereto. Tip part 202A′ may be arranged so as to be connected to sole 104 as shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B without being bent to the sole side between upper structure 103 and sole 104. In this manner, as long as tip part 202A′ of inner end part 202A of foot front side support line part 202 is connected to a member at the sole side in the shoe within the region R3, it is possible to efficiently apply the force on the foot from the rear outer side to the front inner side with inner end part 202A serving as a fulcrum.

In the present embodiment, inner end part 202A of foot front side support line part 202 is fixed to shoe 200. On the other hand, outer end part 202B of foot front side support line part 202 is not fixed to shoe 200 and is attachable to and detachable from the shoe. FIG. 14 shows a magnified view of outer end part 202B of foot front side support line part 202 in the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 14, in the present embodiment, outer end part 202B of foot front side support line part 202 is provided with interlocking connection part 208 and is attachable to and detachable from the shoe 200. Thereby, foot front side support line part 202 can be loosened by detaching outer end part 202B of foot front side support line part 202 from shoe 200 at the time of putting on and taking off shoe 200, and outer end part 202B can be attached to shoe 200 in the state where foot front side support line part 202 is stretched toward the rear outer side after putting on shoe 200. This allows the shoe to be easily put on or taken off. Here, “the end” refers to a region proximate to a tip part including the tip part.

There is no particular limitation on interlocking connection part 208. For example, a hook (for example, hook-and-eye closure), a hook and loop fastener, a gripper, a button, a cord, or the like may be selected appropriately according to the design or the use. Also, outer end part 202B may be provided with a joint member so as to be attachable to and detachable from the shoe.

In the present embodiment, a hook is used as interlocking connection part 208. As shown in FIG. 14, more than one hook position is provided so that an attachment/detachment position is adjustable. When the attachment/detachment position of outer end part 202B of foot front side support line part 202 to shoe 200 is adjustable in this manner, it is possible to adjust the strength of the force acted on the foot from the rear outer side to the front inner side in accordance with the shape of the foot of a wearer, the characteristic of the running style, and the like. It is more preferable to use a hook and loop fastener as interlocking connection part 208 or to be provided with a mechanism for adjusting the length of the support line part because this allows the stepless adjustment of the strength of the force acted on the foot from the rear outer side to the front inner side. However, in the present invention, outer end part 202B of foot front side support line part 202 may have a configuration in which the strength of the force acted on the foot from the rear outer side to the front inner side is not adjustable. In the present embodiment, outer end part 202B of foot front side support line part 202 is not fixed to but attachable to and detachable from the shoe 200 as described above. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and outer end part 202B may be fixed to shoe 200.

In the present embodiment, foot front side support line part 202 is a strip member. However, in the present invention, the foot front side support line part is not limited thereto. Foot front part side support line part 202 may be formed of several cord members as shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B.

In the present invention, the elastic force of the foot front side support line part is not limited, and is, for example, in the range from 9.0 N to 30.0 N, and preferably in the range from 11.23 N to 18.41 N. In the present invention, the material to be used for the foot front side support line part is not particularly limited as long as it is an elastic member. Examples of the material include strip members (tapes), cord members, and the like made of polyurethane and nylon, polyurethane and polyester, polyester and natural rubber, and the like. Also the foot front side support line part may be formed by applying rubber or resin on the instep fabric or by partially changing the knitting structure of the fabric of the instep fabric to enhance the elastic force of the part corresponding to the foot front side support line part. In the present invention, the width of the foot front side support line part is not particularly limited. For example, the width is preferably in the range from 1 cm to 5 cm and is more preferably in the range from 2 cm to 3 cm. Note here that, in the present invention, the material to be used for the foot front side support line part and the heel side support line part may be the same or different.

(Objective Evaluation in Wearing)

[Evaluation 1]

Shoe 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention of the type shown in FIG. 8 was produced and a wearing evaluation test was conducted. In the present evaluation, the shift of the foot from side to side was measured with respect to one subject (twenty-six-year-old male) at the time of running while wearing shoe 200. In the present evaluation, the shift of the foot from side to side was measured by measuring the floor reaction force in the horizontal direction at the time of running using a floor reaction force gauge. Also, as a comparative example, the shift of the foot from side to side was measured in the same manner with respect to a shoe that does not include a heel side support line part and a foot front side support line part.

The results are shown in the graph of FIG. 18. In FIG. 18, the solid line shows the result with respect to shoe 200 of the present invention and the dashed line shows the result with respect to the shoe that does not include the heel side support line part and the foot front side support line part. In FIG. 18, the vertical axis shows the shift of the foot. With 0 as a reference, the vertical axis above 0 (the direction indicated by the arrow J1) shows the shift of the foot toward the inner side and the vertical axis below 0 (the direction indicated by the arrow J2) shows the shift of the foot toward the outer side. The horizontal axis shows the time. The time elapses from the time of landing in the direction indicated by the arrow J3. As shown in FIG. 18, in the case where the subject wears the shoe of the present invention, as compared to the case where the subject wears the shoe that does not include the heel side support line part and the foot front side support line part, the shift of the foot from side to side is reduced. This shows that shoe 200 of the present invention reduces the shift of the foot from side to side.

[Evaluation 2]

Shoe 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention of the type shown in FIG. 8 was produced and a wearing evaluation test was conducted. In the present evaluation, the shift of the foot from side to side was measured with respect to six subjects (twenty-six-year-old to forty-seven-year-old males and females) at the time of running while wearing shoe 200. Then, with respect to the phase in which the foot is landed on the ground (hereinafter, referred to simply as “landing phase”) and the phase in which the food kicks the ground (hereinafter, referred to simply as “kick phase”), the average value of the magnitude of the shift of the foot from side to side of all the subjects was obtained. In the present evaluation, the shift of the foot from side to side was measured by measuring the floor reaction force in the horizontal direction at the time of running using a floor reaction force gauge. Also, as a comparative example, in the same manner as described above, the shift of the foot from side to side was measured with respect to the shoe that does not include the heel side support line part and the foot front side support line part, and the average values with respect to the landing phase and the kick phase were obtained respectively. Then, the ratio of the results for the shoe 200 of the present invention was measured with the results with respect to the shoe that does not include the heel side support line part and the foot front side support line part being considered as 100%.

The results are shown in the graph of FIG. 19. FIG. 19A shows the result with respect to the landing phase, and FIG. 19B shows the result with respect to the kick phase. In each of FIGS. 19A and 19B, the bar (white) at the left shows the case where each subject wears the shoe that does not include the heel side support line part and the foot front side support line part, and the bar (black) at the right shows the case where each subject wears shoe 200 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 19A, with the shift of the foot at the landing phase in the case where each subject wears the shoe that does not include the heel side support line part and the foot front side support line part being considered as 100%, the shift of the foot in the case where each subject wears shoe 200 of the present invention was 83%. Also as shown in FIG. 19B, with the shift of the foot at the kick phase in the case where each subject wears the shoe that does not include the heel side support line part and the foot front side support line part being considered as 100%, the shift of the foot in the case where each subject wears shoe 200 of the present invention was 92%. This shows that shoe 200 of the present invention reduces the shift of the foot from side to side.

[Evaluation 3]

Shoe 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention of the type shown in FIG. 8 was produced and a wearing evaluation test was conducted. In the present evaluation, the maximum width of the shift of the foot from side to side was measured with respect to thirty-one subjects (eighteen-year-old to twenty-two-year-old males and females) at the time of running while wearing shoe 200, and the average value of all the subjects was obtained. In the present evaluation, the shift of the foot from side to side was measured by measuring the load-centered locus using an insole-type pressure gauge. Also, as a comparative example, in the same manner as described above, the maximum width of the shift of the foot from side to side was measured with respect to the shoe that does not include the heel side support line part and the foot front side support line part, and the average value was obtained.

The results are shown in the graph of FIG. 20. In FIG. 20, the bar α at the left shows the result with respect to the shoe that does not include the heel side support line part and the foot front side support line part, and the bar β at the right shows the result with respect to shoe 200 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 20, as compared to the case where each subject wears the shoe that does not include the heel side support line part and the foot front side support line part, the maximum width of the shift of the foot from side to side in the case where each subject wears shoe 200 of the present invention was decreased. This shows that shoe 200 of the present invention reduces the shift of the foot from side to side.

[Evaluation 4]

Shoe 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention of the type shown in FIG. 8 was produced and a wearing evaluation test was conducted. In the present evaluation, the ability of long-distance running was measured with respect to thirty-one subjects (eighteen-year-old to twenty-two-year-old males and females) at the time of running on treadmills while wearing shoe 200. In the present evaluation, the exhaled gas of each subject was measured while gradually increasing the speed of the treadmill to calculate an anaerobic threshold. The anaerobic threshold was used as an indicator of the ability of long-distance running. Also, as a comparative example, in the same manner as described above, the ability of long-distance running was measured with respect to the case where each subject wears the shoe that does not include the heel side support line part and the foot front side support line part.

The results are shown in the graph of FIG. 21. In FIG. 21, the bar γ at the left shows the result with respect to the shoe that does not include the heel side support line part and the foot front side support line part, and the bar θ at the right shows the result with respect to shoe 200 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 21, as compared to the case where each subject wears the shoe that does not include the heel side support line part and the foot front side support line part, the indicator of the ability of long-distance running in the case where each subject wears shoe 200 of the present invention was increased. By taking the aforementioned evaluations 1 to 3 into account, this result shows that shoe 200 of the present invention reduces the shift of the foot from side to side and improves running efficiency.

(Subjective Evaluation in Wearing)

Shoe 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention of the type shown in FIG. 8 was produced and a wearing evaluation test was conducted. In the present evaluation, thirty-one subjects (eighteen-year-old to twenty-two-year-old males and females) were asked to run for 20 minutes while wearing shoe 200 and to give feedback.

As a result, the following feedback was received: “I had a feeling that the foot did not shift from side to side”, “I could run with less power”, and “I felt comfortable and not got fatigued easily”. From this, it was found that shoe 200 of the present invention reduces the shift of the foot from side to side, allows the user to run efficiently and comfortably, and reduces the fatigue of the user.

Third Embodiment

FIG. 16 shows shoe 300 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Shoe 300 of the present embodiment is a running shoe. FIG. 16A shows shoe 300 viewed from the outer side, FIG. 16B shows shoe 300 viewed from the inner side, and FIG. 16C shows shoe 300 viewed from above.

As shown in FIGS. 16A to 16C, in the present embodiment, foot front side support line part 202 passes under instep fabric (upper) 309 of the shoe. Except for this, the shoe of the present embodiment is the same as that of the second embodiment. Since the foot front side support line part does not pass via the surface of the shoe but passes under the instep fabric, it is possible to prevent the foot front side support line part from being caught in the object when the shoe hits an object, for example. Also, by covering the foot front side support line part with the instep fabric which is good in design, it is possible to make the design of the whole shoe better.

In the present embodiment, outer end part 202B of foot front side support line part 202 is not covered with instep fabric 309. This allows the foot front side support line part to be easily attached to and detached from the shoe by interlocking connection part 208. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the whole foot front side support line part may be arranged under the instep fabric.

While the present invention has been described above with reference to running shoes as specific examples, the shoe of the present invention is not limited to those described in the specific examples, and, can be embodied in various forms. For example, the present invention can be applied to various shoes such as a walking shoe and the like.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

Since the shoe of the present invention improves a series of motion of the foot at the time of running and walking and reduces the shift of the foot from side to side, the use thereof is not limited and it can be used in a wide range of fields.

EXPLANATION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   100, 200, 300 shoe (running shoe) -   101 heel side support line part -   101A outer end part of heel side support line part -   101B inner end part of heel side support line part -   202 foot front side support line part -   202A inner end part of foot front side support line part -   202A′ tip part of inner end part of foot front side support line     part -   202B outer end part of foot front side support line part -   103 upper structure -   104 sole -   105, 208 interlocking connection part -   107 heel part of shoe -   206 foot front part of shoe -   309 instep fabric 

1. A shoe comprising: a heel side support line part arranged from an outer side of a heel part to an inner side of the heel part via a sole side, wherein the heel side support line part is an elastic member, the heel side support line part has an outer end part arranged within a region posterior to a front end of a lateral malleolus, anterior to a virtual plumb line extending through the midpoint between a virtual plumb line passing through a most projecting point of the lateral malleolus and a virtual plumb line passing through a rear end of a calcaneus, and below a lower end of the lateral malleolus, the heel side support line part has an inner end part arranged within a region posterior to a first metatarsal head, anterior to a front end of a medial malleolus, and below a lower end of the medial malleolus, and the heel side support line part is configured to apply a force to turn a foot in a direction of pronation by its elastic force to at least the heel part.
 2. The shoe according to claim 1, further comprising: a foot front side support line part arranged from a front inner side of a foot front part to a rear outer side of the foot front part via an instep part, the foot front side support line part is an elastic member, the foot front side support line part has an inner end part arranged such that at least its tip part is connect to the sole side within a region posterior to a midpoint of a first proximal phalanx in a major axis direction and anterior to a rear end of the first metatarsal head, the foot front side support line part has an outer end part arranged within a region posterior to a midpoint of a fifth metatarsal bone in a major axis direction, anterior to a proximal end of a cuboideum bone, and at an outer side of an inner side edge of a fourth metatarsal bone, and the foot front side support line part is configured to apply a force acted on the foot from a rear outer side to a front inner side by its elastic force to at least the foot front part.
 3. The shoe according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the outer end part of the heel side support line part is fixed to the shoe, and the inner end part of the heel side support line part is attachable to and detachable from the shoe.
 4. The shoe according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the inner end part of the foot front side support line part is fixed to the shoe, and the outer end part of the foot front side support line part is attachable to and detachable from the shoe.
 5. The shoe according to claim 1, wherein the inner end part of the heel side support line part has an adjustable attachment/detachment position to the shoe.
 6. The shoe according to claim 2, wherein the outer end part of the foot front side support line part has an adjustable attachment/detachment position to the shoe.
 7. The shoe according to claim 1, wherein the heel side support line part passes between an upper structure and a sole of the shoe.
 8. The shoe according to claim 2, wherein the foot front side support line part passes under an instep fabric of the shoe.
 9. The shoe according to claim 1, wherein the shoe is a running shoe.
 10. The shoe according to claim 2, wherein the outer end part of the heel side support line part is fixed to the shoe, and the inner end part of the heel side support line part is attachable to and detachable from the shoe.
 11. The shoe according to claim 3, wherein the inner end part of the foot front side support line part is fixed to the shoe, and the outer end part of the foot front side support line part is attachable to and detachable from the shoe. 